Runaway Train
by Arashi no Baka
Summary: When we're children, running away seems simple. But it's not. And our family will miss us. Regardless of how stern they seem sometimes.
1. Default Chapter

Runaway Train

By Arashi no Baka

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Notes: A random one-shot that owes its existence to a train station named Gordon Hill. Where Halo and I stood in the rain and thought it up. So this ones for you honey You wanted a cute scene…you got one (of course, noting that we were standing at GORDON Hill made me much the more happier sadly, I never obtained that much wanted photo of my by the sign post T-T)

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He sat on the small bench, huddled up in a coat against the rain. He knew he should really go into the shelter, that his father would be angry if he knew, but he didn't want to move. His hair was plastered to his hair, his long bangs obscuring his vision. Not there was much for him to see.

The sun had set long ago and the darkness that was engulfing the station frightened him a little. He had just enough money in his pocket for a ticket and he had been worried that the man in the ticket office would refuse him a ticket. But he'd made up some lie about his father meeting him the other end.

He was good at lying. He did it every day.

* * *

He sniffled a little and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand, only succeeded in making his face wetter. The people at the other end of the station had been looking at him for a while now, and he couldn't blame them. He was only little after all. Maybe they thought he was scared.

As if trying to prove he wasn't, he drew himself up straighter, blowing back the bangs in frustration. His father was right when he said he needed a haircut. As thoughts turned once again to his father, he thought of what his family were doing now. they were probably looking for him. Not because they cared, but because they wanted to tell him off…

He shivered, both from the cold and from his thoughts. He jumped a little as thunder crashed a little way over head and lightening lit up the sky, illuminating the track. It seemed menacing for a minute to his young eyes and he realised just how silly it was to be sitting at a train station in the middle of the night.

But it was too late now. His brothers were probably wondering the streets looking for him. his father was no doubt angry. But hen, he was always angry at him, wasn't he? He blinked back the tears. He was a big boy. He wouldn't cry.

He looked up as someone sat beside him, and then looked away quickly, lest they know he was staring. He briefly remembered his father telling him not to go anywhere alone, that there were some people out there who wouldn't hesitate to hurt him and he wondered if this person would hurt him.

Hit took a while to realise that it wasn't an adult beside him, but an elder boy. And it took even longer to realise that he knew him. "Where were you headed Alan?"

Alan Tracy shrugged lightly, and refused to look at the boy beside him.

"It didn't matter. I just wanted to go…"

They sat in a silence for a minute and then Alan spoke again, his voice uncertain now. He still wasn't sure this was a good idea, and this was the last person he expected to find him.

"How did you find me?"

There was a slight pause and Alan looked at the boy beside him. His eyes were closed and when he opened them, they met Alan's seven-year-old ones with a startling amount of pain and concern. They had _really_ missed him?

"It wasn't hard to work out that this was the first place you'd head. You always thought about running away one day, and where better to come than the train station?"

Alan's voice was barely a whisper as he answered his brother.

"How did you know I wanted to run away?"

His brother sighed slowly and put a comforting arm round Alan's shoulders. The younger boy made no effort to remove it. Nor lean into it. He wasn't sure what eh wanted anymore.

"Because I could see it in your eyes Al…."

Alan stared at the ground in silence. All he was aware of was the rain and the sounds of the town behind them. He kicked his legs back and forth trying to find something to say, when his brother filled the silence for him.

"They're all looking for you, you know. Even Dad. You scared the hell out of him Alan…You should have seen him. and Scott…Scott was o mad. Not at you, but because he thought someone had taken you. You worried us all."

"I'm sorry…"

Alan's reply was quiet and small and he hugged his knees close to his chest, despite the fact that they were wet and cold. "I didn't think you'd miss me…"

There was a stunned silence and then an incredulous noise from his brother's lips. Alan winced, expecting to be hit, or at least yelled at. For his credit, his brother kept his voice even and steady.

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Because I looked in the room where your party was. And everyone was so happy. You were so happy, and I thought how everyone always seemed to be sad when I was around. Like I made u all unhappy and angry. I only wanted what was best for you…"

Alan sounded so much older than his seven years that his brother sat on the bench, stunned for a minute. Then, he reached over and pulled Alan's face around. "Then you should have asked me. It's my birthday Alan, and you know how I spent it? Worrying about you. What if you had been kidnapped or something? And you're wrong. We weren't all happy. I wasn't, because I didn't have my little brother there. Dad wasn't. He was waiting for you for ages to come down. Scott and John were worrying about you, wondering why you hadn't shown up. And Gordy…Gordy was most worried about you Allie...Because you promised him to play some prank or other on me, and you weren't here. He's been making him self sick with wondering why you weren't there. He misses you. We all do…"

Alan felt the tears falling down his cheeks. He didn't know what to do…He'd made everyone unhappy. And they _did _care. He shivered slightly and was surprised as the bright head lights of the oncoming train flooded the station.

As the train slowed to a stop, Alan was torn. They both stood and the doors to the train opened. Alan took one step forward and then stopped. The lights of the train were inviting, and then Virgil held out his hand.

Wordlessly Alan made his decision. Slowly, he reached over and took his brothers hand. He was going home.

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Hmm. Sweet

R & R?


	2. Home

Runaway Train

By Arashi no Baka

Part Two: Home

Disclaimer: I do not own. Never will.

Notes: Thanks for the wonderful reviews everyone. I'm glad you liked it, and here's your second part.

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Alan stared at his house in silence.

Virgil hadn't spoken to him since their departure from the station and Alan wondered if his brother was secretly mad at him. After all, he _had_ ruined his birthday. But he hadn't complained when Alan didn't let go of his hand. Even now, Alans small fingers gripped his brothers palm with a startling amount of strength.

Through the large windows Alan could see the silhouettes of his worried family in the dim lights of the living room. He sighed slowly and tugged on Virgil's hands, letting him know he was ready. Silently, Virgil took the house key out of his pocket and opened the door.

Alan paused in the hallway, staring down the hall that seemed longer now than ever before. He heard Scott call through the open living room door and Alan felt a tug at his heart. Scott sounded so…There wasn't an appropriate word in Alan's childish vocabulary to describe it, but he recognised it as the me tone his father had used when he'd fallen out of the tree-house last summer.

"Virg? Did you find him?"

Virgil looked down at Alan who started down the hallway, his elder brother laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. As the smaller boy opened the door to the living room, all activity ceased. John was sitting on the sofa, a sleeping Gordon curled up on his lap.

The little eight-year old had walked the entirety of the neighbourhood looking for his little brother, and John had found him, asleep in the tree-house he shared with Alan, curled up with one of Alan's jumpers.

Scott and his father were standing by the window, Jeff with a hand across his eyes, worried or angry Alan couldn't tell. Scott looked like he had been crying, and the little blonde could see the dark rigs round his brother's eyes.

This was all his fault.

He blinked back the tears furiously as his father turned to talk to Virgil, and then froze. Alan took a deep breath, and then he was running across the living room floor, crying.

Jeff bent down, and caught his son as the little two-head flung himself at his fathers open arms. Straightening up, Jeff swept Alan into a hug, his arms tight around his son's small body. Alan buried his face into his father's neck, his tears unashamedly running down his face.

"Allie…"

Jeff breathed the word, hardly daring to believe that his son was in his arms. The fear he had felt at losing his youngest son still wasn't appeased and probably never would be. There is no greater fear for a parent than that of losing a child. Alan gripped Jeff's jacket in his fingers, muttering into his father's shirt.

"I'm sorry daddy….I didn't mean to make you angry at me…"

Jeff let out an incredulous snort, and then realised his son wouldn't know what that meant. He softly stroked Alan's blonde hair and whispered into his ear.

"I'm not angry Alan…I'm just glad you're home."

Alan cried harder and Jeff held him closer smiling slightly at his middle son. Virgil had remained in the centre of the room, observing the small moment between father and son. He nodded slowly and then looked at Scott, who raised an eyebrow. Virgil mouthed the words 'train station' at his elder brother and Scott's eyes flickered with something and then he looked back at Alan.

Virgil, ever adept at reading his brother, knew that Scott would be keeping a closer eye on Alan from now on. He felt it as a sort of failing on his part for not realising what Alan was going through.

As Alans cries penetrated his sleeping form, Gordon started to stir in John's arms. The elder blonde was glad his brother was safe and sound and was watching Alan with open love and devotion on his face. Gordon let out a happy squeal, startling everyone in the room.

"Allie!"

The little blonde looked back from Jeff's shoulder, his eyes landing on his red-headed brother. The two didn't say anything to each other, but everyone in the room knew that words were being exchanged anyway. In just a few looks both brothers, even now at this young age, could determine what the other was feeling and thinking.

Gordon, still sleepy, rested his head back on John's shoulder.

"That's the only place I didn't look…"

Jeff exchanged a bemused glance with his eldest son, before Gordon drifted off into sleep again, content in the knowledge that his brother was home. Alan looked at the floor, and then up at Virgil.

"I'm sorry I ruined your birthday."

"You didn't Al. Having you home safe and sound is the best present I could ever have,"

Virgil stared his little brother straight in the eye and tears fell from Alan's eyes again. He smiled through them and lent against his father once more, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry I ran away daddy…"

"Stop saying sorry Alan…its okay…"

Alan snuggled up into his fathers neck, his breath evening out as the events of the night finally caught up with him.

"Ill never do it again"

Jeff hugged Alan briefly closer and then kissed his forehead.

"I know son…"

Alan opened his eyes briefly and looked at each of his brothers. His gaze hovered a little longer on Virgil. "I have the best family in the world…"

Scott reached over to ruffle his brother's hair briefly but John was frowning thoughtfully. "Why'd you do it Al?!"

Virgil glared at his elder brother, not wanting to upset Alan again. Their little brother looked at the floor, never loosening his grip on Jeff's shirt.

"I didn't think you wanted me here…"

"AL!"

The shouts came from Scott John and Jeff at the same time. Gordon jerked and snorted in his sleep, but didn't wake up. Jeff made his son look at him.

"Don't think that Alan! Of course we want you! We love you!"

There were similar sentiments from Scott and John, and Virgil nodded reassuringly at his brother. Alan hugged his father's neck and closed his eyes again.

"I love you too daddy…all of you…"

As Alan drifted off into sleep, he spoke three last words.

"Thank you Virgil."

Jeff looked at his middle son who smiled vaguely. Scott had joined John and Gordon on the sofa and they both looked up at their brother. Virgil ran a hand through his hair and smiled softly at his father.

He ran a hand through Alan's blonde locks.

"Anytime Al.."

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Good enough ending? I hope so. No more fics for a while. I'm on holiday for tow weeks : P

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